May 10, 2017 - traditional track to certification, you may have some questions about the new system. Will there still ... Future. There has been an Ap...
To: Current First and Second Year Dermatology Residents CC: Program Directors and Coordinators RE: ABD Exam Q and A for Current First and Second Year Dermatology Residents Date: May 10, 2017 For residents who began dermatology training prior to July 1, 2017 You may be aware of the Board’s initiative called the Exam of the Future. The first group of residents to experience the Exam of the Future will begin dermatology training in July 2017. Although you are in the traditional track to certification, you may have some questions about the new system. Will there still be an In-Training Exam? There is no longer an In-Training Exam. However, there will be an equivalent exam offered to you (see next question). What is the CORE Practice exam? The CORE Practice is offered to residents who are in the traditional certifying track and is functionally equivalent to the In-Training Exam in length and content. Furthermore, the exam is not pass/fail; performance data is provided for reference only. The only substantive difference between In-Training and CORE Practice is the method of proctoring. CORE Practice proctoring will be done using Remote Proctor technology. What is Remote Proctor technology? Remote proctoring literally means that the proctor is not in the same location as the examinee. In the form that ABD uses, called record-and-review, a recording is made of the exam and the proctor reviews the footage after the exam. Remote proctoring requires broadband internet access, webcam, microphone, and a quiet room with no access to books or papers. The webcam and microphone preinstalled in most laptops typically fulfill the requirement. ABD has employed remote proctoring for some of its exams since 2014. Detailed information and instructions will be sent to you well in advance of the exam. Will I take the certifying exam in Tampa? Candidates who are eligible to take the certifying exam in 2018 and 2019 will take the exam at the American Board of Pathology test center in Tampa. How is the certifying exam in Tampa different from the Exam of the Future? The current certifying exam has features of both the CORE and the APPLIED exams of the Exam of the Future. There has been an Applied section of the current certifying exam since July 2016. The exam in Tampa has a dermatopathology section consisting of glass slides and virtual dermatopathology. In the Exam of the Future, glass slide items will be replaced by virtual dermatopathology. What if I don’t pass the exam in 2019? In the event that you take the certifying exam in 2019 and do not pass, you may take the traditional certifying exam in 2020 and/or 2021. May I opt into the Exam of the Future? If you do not pass the certifying exam by 2019, you may, instead of taking the traditional exam, opt into the Exam of the Future. You will be required to pass both the CORE modules (administered by remote proctoring) and the APPLIED exam (administered at Pearson VUE). What if I don’t pass the exam by 2021? In the unlikely possibility that the certifying exam is not passed by 2021, you will enter into the Exam of the Future. You will be required to pass the CORE modules and the APPLIED exam.
